Devour
by Willibaldvonsomething
Summary: An encounter with an 'assassin' draws Esdese attention away from the tournament, resulting in an unexpected emotion. Love. But with a war between the Jaeger's and Night Raid on the horizon, can she keep her new love safe. Or more importantly, does Zabuza even want to be protected, much less caged by some crazy, romance obsessed ice-woman. Young!ZabuzaxEsdese
1. Take It

It was bullshit, that's what it was.

"Damn, damn, damn..." The boy muttered under his breath as he shifted from shadow to shadow, quiet as a demon in the night as he looked for suitable targets. The baker and his group had jacked up the price, taking what little cash he had left for a measly loaf of bread.

"Should have killed the fatass..." He muttered as he finally found a possible target. A soldier, judging by the uniform. And a high ranking one at that. Or given that she's a women, probably did the smart thing and slept her way up the ranks. A severely decreased chance of death, and better pay. Cause frankly, in the empire, dignity and morals were words used by the dead or those Holier-than-thou assholes in the Revolution. "And the only difference between the two is time."

If they want to die for their stupid cause. More power to them. He was going to survive. No matter what.

Still.. a soldier. The boy weighed the pros and cons, the risk against the reward. Soldiers always carried some cash around, and even if they didn't, there was always personal valuables, or at worst their own weapons. A good fence could get him a decent price for imperial steel.

And so he skulked, mind made up, keeping a safe distance as he waited for an opportunity. For the crowd to thicken as it usually did, so a careful caress could be seen as an accident, instead of street-side robbery.

The boy knew he probably had the lightest hands in the entire capital, but even then. He was tired, and pickpocketing was a delicate art, so the more safety nets he had in place. The better.

* * *

><p>Esdese had to compliment her pursuer. They were good. She'd enjoy torturing them to find out who was brave, or stupid enough to target her. It'd be the perfect end to the day after her tournament.<p>

So the blue-haired general led her shadow on a small detour. The tournament wasn't to start for another hour, and she wanted to see just how good the assassin was.

* * *

><p>The boy growled in his head. So many missed opportunities to strike in the past ten minutes, all because this women seemed to not give a damn or have an actual definition. He was going to enjoy the taste of a fresh meal and an actual bed with this women's money tonight. Heck, if she had enough, he might even buy himself a present.<p>

Probably a better knife, since his old ones were getting dull and worn from their constant use.

Yes. A new knife set would be perfect.

* * *

><p>Esdese smirked as she once again lost track of her stalker, for the third time since she started. She hadn't heard a sound, felt an ounce of killing intent or even seen them, but years of combat and her own sharp instincts were still telling her to keep an eye out as she took a turn into a closed off alley. Perfect for an ambush. For her that is.<p>

And she didn't have to wait long. Not even three steps into the dark pathway, her assassin struck.

"Miss. Don't make this harder than it has to be. Drop the coins and valuables, and no one gets hurt." A surprisingly high voice came from behind her, as she felt the tip of a knife press against her back.

"Oh you are good... but terrible form. The knife should be at my throat." Esdese taunted, easily burying her shock at actually being caught off guard. The northern campaign must have dulled her senses more than she thought.

Her assailant didn't say a word, simply pressed the knife against her back with a little more force. Enough to make the message clear.

Too bad for him, she wasn't the surrendering type.

Esdese smirked as she kicked back, feeling her heel connect with solid flesh to bring out the all too familiar sound of cracking bones. The boy. She could now see it was a boy, or at least a very short man.

She'd expected more than this pile of rags before her. She could only see the boy's eyes with any clarity. Dark brown, cold and as sharp as steel that stared back at her, not with the usual fear, but with contempt and the trace of something.

"Miss, you got a kick... now, last chance. Drop the goods and you'll walk away from this." The boy offered, only for Esdese to smirk in response.

"Counter offer. Surrender quietly, and I'll give you a quick death."

The boy didn't seem to move, but she could tell he was getting into what might count as a stance. "I hate it when people can't just take the easy way..." The boy mumbled to himself, drawing out a giggle from Esdese.

"Really now? I rather like it when they stru-" The boy didn't wait for her to finish as he shot forward, a mass of cloth that took up all of her vision. He ducked low, knife in his uninjured hand as he got close, hoping to end things in one blow.

Now if only the women would cooperate, he thought as he had to side step a punch, watching as it smashed into the stone floor, leaving a noticeable dent. Not noticeable as in, a light imprint of her fist. No. This was cannonball level of property destruction. Suddenly the risks far outweighed the reward.

So like any sensible man, he started to run. A little bit of coin wasn't worth his life. Not when there were other targets to be had.

Esdese's grin faltered as the boy began his retreat, but oh no. Her blood was up. She was a hunter on the prowl now, and by no means was she going to be satisfied unless she got her prey.

* * *

><p>"Damn, damn, damn." The boy mumbled as he frantically jumped from rooftop to rooftop to avoid the crazy woman who was actively keeping pace with him. Not gaining on him, or falling behind, but staying a steady distance behind him.<p>

It didn't take an idiot to know he was being hunted. Toyed with like a mouse against a cat. Or in his case a damn tiger.

And just like a mouse, he was eventually driven into a corner for the execution. His particular execution ground was the outskirts of one of the Capital's many parks. If he could make it into the trees, he might actually have a chance. But no. The crazy women decided to cheat in the form of cutting off any escape routes with. An. Emperor. Damned. Wall of ice.

"This is just getting unfair..." He stopped, and turned to face his would be killer. "Fine. If you want to throw down, we'll throw down."

"Then why don't you take off that little robe. I want to watch you bleed as you beg for mercy." Esdese was more than happy to take her time. Ran could watch over the tournament in her absence. This was far more enjoyable for now.

"Only if you give me a name. I like to at least know that when I have to kill a person."

"Esdese. General Esdese."

A certain four letter word ran through the boy's head. Of all the bad luck, he'd picked the empire's strongest. He cracked his neck as the two squared off. Fine, he thought. If this is the world's way of finally taking me out, I'll be sure to bring her with me on the ride to hell.

"Well General. I wonder if you'll still have your title in the next life." The boy took of the tattered robes to reveal his pale, ashen skin and spiky black hair. For a street rat, he had a decent amount of muscle on his torso and the pin-striped pants he wore had enough pockets to hide all sort of tricks. But what intrigued her the most was his teeth.

Sharp, jagged like a predator.

* * *

><p>She was having the time of her life. Sure she wasn't fighting to her fullest, but she'd found a toy that absolutely refused to break. She'd almost lost track of time for how long they'd been fighting, as she drew out the bloodshed.<p>

Every slash from her rapier that added another line of blood to his already shredded form was met with grim silence, and even when she broke a bone, or by her count the fifth one, the boy simply fought harder. Like a demon possessed.

But like all good things, it was about to come to an end. For all the fire in his eyes, for all the steel and potential she could see in him, she also saw the shadow of death drawing ever closer.

A pity really. A few years under her tutelage and he'd be a general at least. Probably would be a rather handsome man too. But Esdese wasn't one to let superficial thoughts distract her, even when she was playing with her toys. Especially when they had an sharp edge to them.

"I never got your name young one. I'll be sure to remember it." The general teased with a grin as she danced left and right to avoid the flurry of kicks that was the boy's last line of offense, both arm's broken and having lost enough blood to kill most people. The only thing that kept him standing was raw willpower and hatred.

"And I'll enjoy not telling you." The boy grinned, flashing her those shark teeth, and for half a second, Esdese thought she felt her heart stop before passing it off as slight bit of indigestion.

Sure, she was looking for love, but this was a kid, and while he fit almost every check box, he was missing an important one.

"Then how bout we end this for now. I'll take you back and give you some special service in the Imperial Torture chambers." Though she was going to take a bit of pride with breaking this one. He was far too fun to simply kill.

"Fine." The boy bent at the knee, picking up one of his discarded knives into his mouth. If he was going to die, he was going to do it with weapon, metaphorically, in hand. "But I don't do hags." He mumbled, mostly to himself. His vision was starting to fade. His arms were getting heavy, and it felt like anvils were weighing down his feet. But he was better than that. He wasn't some piece of trash. To lose his life because he got a bit greedy.

"Fuck that." The boy glared at the older woman as he focused, letting the killing intent wash over him in waves. His body was a tool to his will. He'd survived in the wild for years before entering the shit hole that was the Capital. He was the master of his damn fate, and the emperor himself could watch as he killed this damn women. The boy charged, his eyes never leaving his target.

Esdese smiled for the first time since this battle started. An actual, warm-blooded smile. To feel such malice, such powerful killing intent from someone so young. He could certainly outdo most soldiers she knew. This was what she lived for. The thrill of the fight. Maybe she wouldn't torture this one. For long. A bit of torture then add him to the Jaegers. He certainly had the talent.

But for now, she was going to meet his charge head on, before crushing him!

* * *

><p>It was over in the flash of a blade. A long diagonal cut from hip to shoulder as the boy jumped to impale her through the throat with his knife. An innovative move to be sure, but in the end it didn't work.<p>

Esdese swished her blade, sending the majority of the boys blood into the grass. Now she had to find an imperial guard to take the boy, living or dead to a healer, to be dealt with accordingly. Then she might go see the tournament, if it was still going on.

Hopefully Ran found someone to use the Tengu, or today would have been all pleasure. Not that she was going to complain. It was the best day she'd had since arriving in the Capital, but she still had her work to do.

Now, we wait to see if the boy is strong enough to live to see another day.

And she didn't know why, but Esdese submitted to a random urge. To take one last look at the nameless urchin that both amused her and confused her.

Only for her vision to be blocked by teeth as she turned. Monstrous, devouring teeth that were far too close, far too fast for even her to dodge as she felt them bite into her throat.

For a moment, Esdese knew fear. In all her life, she'd gained strength, won victory after victory, growing by the day as she faced down everything and anything the world could throw at her. She'd beaten it all back by spear, by sword or by fist. But as time slowed, not by use of her Tengu but by her mind going into overdrive, her mask slipped. Letting one, beaten, bloody and half-dead thief see the look of absolute horror on her face as what he thought to be his parting image with this world while they both took the trip to hell together.

Unfortunately for the brat. Fate was not done screwing with him yet. No. In addition to getting torn apart like a chew toy, had half of his bones reduced to dust and lost enough blood to swim in, fate saw fit to turn him into a pin cushion with a pair of feather's blind-siding him before his teeth could sink in far enough to bring the general down.

"General!"

* * *

><p>"Ran!" Esdese shouted up at her subordinate, mind racing at what just happened before picking her opponent up by the scruff of the neck. "Take this boy to the Imperial healers! Quickly! And if he dies, I'll kill everyone in this damn city! That's not a threat, that's a fact!"<p>

The blue haired women tossed the boy up to the surprised young man. After all, one minute the kid was a gnat's whisker away from killing the empire's strongest, the next he was being treated like the emperor himself.

For his part, the tengu-user didn't hesitate at the odd order, instead speeding across the sky's to fulfill the woman's orders. He knew his hide was included in the word 'everyone' and he still had a reason left to live.

"You'll make it kid. Don't worry." Ran reassured the kid as he landed in one of the Palace barracks, before yelling for a medic at a passing soldier. The winged man wasn't the best of doctor's but he knew enough about first aid to stop the bleeding before he was passed off to the professionals.

Ran relayed the message to the healers, putting more than a spring in their step as they hasted off to basically bring back the dead.

* * *

><p>Esdese calmly walked back towards the palace and her quarters. She was in no rush. She needed time to think. To remind herself of the stupidity of underestimating an opponent, and to calm her beating heart.<p>

She'd witnessed heaven and hell in the span of a few short heart beats. Her close brush with death had given her a glimpse at an angel. Esdese brought a hand up to gently rub the wound on her neck. It was deep enough to scar, but it wasn't lethal. No. Ran's intervention saved her from that fate.

No. For now her thoughts would be filled with one image and one image alone. The look on the boys face, even as he was torn away by Ran's metallic feathers. That look of pure joy on his face, of innocent bliss.

Later that day, a one maid would remark to another maid if they knew what 'All check-boxes filled' would mean after hearing it from a passing Esdese on her way to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>The boy hurt all over. But he guessed that was a good thing. If he felt pain, he was still alive. If he was still alive, he could work to maintaining that status.<p>

Didn't explain why he felt like he was laying on a cloud, or more importantly what had a firm but gentle grip on his non-pulverized hand.

He decided to crack an eye open first, get a lay of his surroundings before he decided to run. Every little detail would help, but the sight before him raised more questions than it answered.

He was in an infirmary. Not some back alley doctor's den of probably infected tools, or in a cell after having had his more fatal injuries dealt with. An honest to god infirmary. The boy wondered what brought this on, since the last thing he remembered was the woman getting ready to toss him into the torture chambers.

"You're awake.." And there was the voice that originally uttered those threats. But instead of being condescending or cold, it was oddly warm and loving. Like that wasn't an instant red flag.

The boy jerked away from the sound, only to find that aside from the hand currently being held by Esdese herself, a woman with a grip worthy of her reputation, he was strapped in tight. The doctors probably thought he'd run. He gave Esdese a quick look, confused by the warm smile on her face. Gee, wonder why I'd run, he thought.

"Couldn't just kill me.. could you."

Esdese giggled. This was just getting weirder by the moment. "No. No I couldn't."

He noted the layer of bandages around the woman's neck, taking a hint of pride at the sight, though he wished he had a knife or something to finish the job before the crazy woman could drop the sugary mask and get to the torturing.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I swear." Esdese cut into his thoughts.

"Bullshit."

She gave his hand a soft squeeze, and... was she blushing? How long was he out? Did he wake up in some weird alternate world? Some place filled with wizards bent on world conquest, or perverted devils? He pinched himself, noting the pain. So it wasn't a dream... What the hell happened?

"How are you feeling?"

"I didn't think someone of your status could ask such stupid quu-" The pressure on his hand increased from 'deadlocked' to 'crushing what few unbroken bones you have left' to cut him off, before letting off as suddenly as it began. "What do you want?" At times like this, the boy liked to cut to the chase.

Esdese lit up at the question. "Your name... Please." The last word added as an embarrassed after thought.

"Not telling." And now she's using the puppy dog eyes... why? "Why are you doing that?"

"I'm trying to look cute."

"Doesn't answer the question... one minute you are going to lock me up for life to be used as your personal whipping boy, and the next you are sitting her like some school girl... and why the hell do you keep looking embarrassed?!"

"Is it wrong for a woman to worry bout the man she loves.."

The boy huffed, thinking in an exasperated tone as the meaning of the words hadn't fully hit him just yet.

Then they did. With the force of an avalanche.

**AN:** I have far too many ideas... this story, as interesting an idea as I think it is will probably be put on the backburner while I finish or work on one of the other stories I have going. Still, I think it's an interesting idea. We got Esdese and Zabuza, specifically younger Zabuza, someone a little less jaded with the world. I'd be interested in other people pick up this idea cause I can see quite a bit of potential.**  
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Mostly cause I find it sad that the only fics in this particular crossover [in english at least] are about Naruto, when there are so many other possibilities. (There is one with Itachi but still.) So I shall continue my pointless and useless crusade for the Demon in the Mist! (Even if I feel like I'm committing some weird taboo for the fact I have no plans of including Haku in this.)

But enough of my personal rant. Just wanted to point out a few things that might come up. (Cause I will agree completely. In a straight up fight, my beloved Esdese could dance an Irish Jig on Zabuza's corpse. Tis why Zabuza rarely fights fair.) Zabuza got lucky. Very, very, very lucky, with his surprise attack. This was a one in a million opportunity that allowed him to get so close to killing Esdese. She underestimated him (even when she was willing to admit he had a massive amount of potential), was toying with him, wasn't aware that surprise attacks were his forte, and most importantly she let her guard down.

So, finishing details to know for future chapters (if I get around to them anytime soon): Zabuza is 14 and yet to hit his growth spurt. He's had no formal training in combat. Every thing he knows is from street fighting, hunting danger beasts and natural skill. What Zabuza will lack in shear destructive and openly offensive power, he'll make up for with his usual stealthiness and his nearly inhuman ability to take a wound and keep going on nothing more than bloodlust alone.

Anyways~ Hope you enjoy, and comments, reviews and thoughts are always welcome~ I will see you all later~


	2. Smash It

She was lying... she had to be. There is no way, no way at all she's telling the truth, the boy thought as he searched the woman's face for anything. A hint of a smirk, a twitch or anything at all that would give the game away.

"Woman-"

"Esdese." She interrupted with a.. the woman looked coy, why did she look so embarrassed? If this was a new form of torture designed to drive him mad, it was working.

"Esdese." The boy bit out. "Don't play games with me. If you are going to kill me, kill me. If you are going to torture me, at least do me the favor of breaking my body. Because these mind games are sick even for the capital. I've stayed out of the damn army for that exact reason. I am not ending up as the fuck toy of some four starred prick or any of his nobleman palls."

That drew a frown from the General, further confusing the boy in it's honesty. He made a note that if he, by some miracle, made it out of this situation alive, he'd take more time out of his day to practice reading people. After all there was no way the sincere look of hurt in the woman's eyes could be faked unless he was loosing his edge.

To his surprise, instead of reacting to his words she pulled out a small little book, the only words he were able to make out being 'how to' and 'romance'. Both of which sent a shiver down his spine.

"I see... is there anyway I can convince you of my feelings?" Esdese's voice came out stilted and embarrassed as she attempted to hide behind the book. If it was anyone else, they would have thought her shy approach cute. Too bad the boy's first impressions of the woman was of him getting worked over like a slice of beef in a butcher's shop.

"Oh sure." The boy allowed more than a hint of sarcasm into his tone. "Untie me and send me on my way would be a nice start, aside from that a kiss on my a-"

At the mention of a kiss, a mischievous spark came into Esdese eye that if the boy noticed would have warned him for what was going to come next. Instead he was caught up in the mindset of a captured prisoner who was going to do everything in his power to at least get a few bits of petty vengeance before they killed him. Or worse.

So it was with genuine surprise he found the general on top of him with their lips locked. What both of them lacked in experience, or in the boys case lack of any emotion to his attacker was more than made up for by the primal lust which she attacked him with. He had no idea how long the kiss lasted, or how Esdese's tongue had ended up in his mouth but he could only stare up at the ceiling as he took deep breathes.

His lungs needed their supply of precious air to quietly mutter out his response. "Do that again... and I'll kill you..."

Esdese just smiled, passing it off as the boy's attempt at flirting. She'd heard it was usually the girls that played the role of the Tsundere, but she was all for gender equality. Besides, the boy was cute when he was angry.

"I'd like to see you try." Esdese teased, wishing she had remembered to bring the collar along. It'd have been the perfect follow up to the kiss. Instead, the pair of them stared at each other. The general happy to get a good look at her lover, mind already racing for ways to improve the boys combat form, to mold him into a perfect man.

The boy just kept his eyes on Esdese, as a thousand thoughts ran through his head. Unfortunately they all came to the same depressing conclusion.

"You're not lying. Are you?" He asked, finally feeling the exhaustion catch up to him when she flashed him a smile. A woman with her reputation should have the ability to look so damn innocent, the boy thought with a sigh. He didn't even know why he bothered asking since the answer was written plain as day across her face. The women was a monster in the battlefield but her emotions were an open book.

"No, I'm not. I really do love you..." Esdese confirmed before trailing off, remembering she still hadn't gotten the boy's name. The flash of acceptance that passed over his gaze was enough to sedate her for now though.

"Esdese." She suppressed the shivers that ran down her spine as he said her name without the tinge of hatred or contempt in his tone. For such a small boy, his voice was rather deep. He'd probably grow into it with the proper training and food. "I'll make you a deal..."

Oh? Her curiosity was peaked. "And what would you like?"

"That roll of bandages there, and if possible the use of my other arm." The boy tried to motion with his hand to the shelf of medical supplies across the room from him, but Esdese still hadn't let him go. Least her grip wasn't as constricting as before.

"And in return?"

"I'll give you a name."

"Deal." No hesitation. Esdese with great reluctance let go of the boy's hand to take the short walk needed to grab the roll of cloth. If it was a plan to escape, then she looked forward to seeing him try in his current state. Especially if his only weapon was a bundle of weak fabric.

She walked back to her seat, placing the bandages next to his free hand before leaning over to untie his bound wrist. Could she have walked around? Absolutely, but she had read that physical contact was important in a relationship, and just because she didn't have any plans of sleeping with her lover till he was older, didn't mean she couldn't tease him like a good little pet.

The boy just blatantly ignored the feel of Esdese on top of him as he flexed his hands, trying to get some feeling back into them. Eventually he was free, Esdese back in her seat, probably not trusting him.

A valid point in his mind. He was already looking for ways to escape if needed but for now he'd stay. The women seemed to generally care bout him and if he had General Esdese in his pocket.

Having the Empire's Strongest on his side opened far more doors then it closed. He just had to deal with this carefully.

With that in mind the boy sat up, looking over his hands. They must have used a healing tengu or some fancy medicine since last he remembered, his left hand had resembled a lump of shredded flesh and bone. Now it was as bandaged as the rest of him.

Passable. The boy thought as he gave his hands one last reassuring squeeze. He picked up the roll of bandages with a groan of effort, confirming his suspicion that even if his arms were no longer broken, they were in no way completely fixed.

Never the less, the boy pressed on as Esdese watched with mild curiosity. The healers hadn't missed a wound on his battered body for fear of her wrath, so she couldn't think of any specific reason as to why he was doing what he was doing.

So she just watched as he began to wrap the bandages around his neck in well practiced motions, noticing how he fought through the pain, passing the roll from hand to hand as the bandages steadily worked their way up from neck, to chin to the bottom of his lips. She remembered every wound she gave him, and was rather impressed. Most would still be unable to use their arms even with medical attention.

As he started to slow down, Esdese got an idea. It'd be perfect she thought before reaching out in an attempt to help with the wrapping. Instead her fingers narrowly avoided the jagged teeth that had come to fascinate her.

Esdese's eyes snapped to the boy's, who met her gaze with his own.

"I, can do it myself. I'm not an invalid." He said before continuing.

"No, but you are mine. And if I want to help you. I will help you." Esdese snatched the roll of bandages out of the boy's hand, making sure to dodge the boy as he snapped his jaws at her the first few times she attempted to approach him. Finally she had enough and pinned him by the throat to the bed.

"Snap at me again, and I will break your neck. Now, let me help so you can get some rest. Tomorrow we are going to start your training, and I don't want to break any more of your bones unless you make me."

The boy just snorted as Esdese eased the pressure on his throat. "I will do it myself."

In others the tone of voice would have stopped any chance of an argument. But Esdese was stubborn, and knew she was the superior fighter, so he couldn't threaten her. "Shut up and sit up."

He just laid there for a moment, looking into her eyes for a moment before sighing again. He was already in for one gold coin, might as well go with the rest, the boy thought as he eased himself up. He did his best to ignore the pleased smirk on the blue-haired woman's lips.

With a gentleness that went against everything he'd heard about the women, Esdese picked the boy up, to seat herself on the bed with the boy in her lap for easier access.

"How far up?" She asked, getting an idea of what he was trying to do.

"Bridge of the nose."

Esdese nodded before going back to her task in silence.

She's taking her sweet time, he thought. If he'd been allowed to do the job himself, he'd have been finished by now. But no, the General was taking her time. At least it gave him time to think about his situation.

Some people would kill to be in his position, the boy groaned internally. For all of her gentleness, he knew that it was going to be a rare thing, something he was happy bout. He preferred it when people weren't coddling him. He'd been raised in the wilds for most of his life, and the city streets for the rest of it, so dealing with people that actually cared was a new experience.

"You know. You owe me your name."

The statement dragged the boy out of his thoughts, a few of them being that at least one perk of his gilded cage was that Esdese's body was a comfortable coldness. But that thought was buried under a mountain of ways concerning how to best exploit his position. For now his best option was to wait and see. If he needed to pretend to be the woman's lover to get him a high-ranking position in the army, or heaven forbid a Tengu, sign him up now.

"Zabuza." That seemed to gather the woman's attention.

"Southern Tribes?"

Zabuza just nodded as Esdese tried to keep the conversation going. A bit of morbid curiosity in her wanted to know if she had destroyed the boy's clan. She'd never apologize for it of course. The southerns she fought were weak, therefore they deserved to die, but it'd be handy to know.

"I'm from a Northern Tribe. Partas."

"Kiri."

Ah. Esdese smiled to herself as she finally covered Zabuza's mouth with the bandages. He was a descendant of the Bloody Mist. A clan that had killed itself off through constant infighting. Least it explained his abilities with stealth in her mind. He was a natural assassin by birth.

The conversation lulled after that, allowing her to make short work of the remaining bandages. She'd ask later why he wanted to hide his face. He wasn't unattractive, but Esdese remembered how her book recommended taking things slow or he might be scared away. He'd never escape from her, but she didn't want to punish him any more than he had to.

Instead she tied the ends together in silence before wrapping her arms around Zabuza. He squirmed in an attempt to get out for a few minutes with a few muttered threats but eventually he gave in and sat quietly as Esdese gently rested her chin on his shoulder. By the time Zabuza's wounds were starting to ache, the blue-haired woman was already asleep, dreaming of a taller, older version of the boy in her arms as they tore through wave after wave of danger beast and soldiers by each others side.

Later Zabuza would complain to himself that while he personally wouldn't admit to finding her sleeping face adorable, he'd grudgingly admit others might.

**An:** Boom, chapter dos. Not much to say aside from giving a brief explination on -why- I went with a younger Zabuza. Long story short, Zabuza is a control freak. He doesn't like not having to bow to other peoples will, or to follow orders. That's my interpretation of him at least, which I think is rather canon. Anyways. A later teenage Zabuza would have joined the army, and probably been glossed over as just another soldier by Esdese, and an adult Zabuza would be too headstrong to even consider going along with things.

No. I made him young to put Zabuza on the back foot. He's not in a position of power. He knows it and hates it. So yes. That's why he's a bit on the young side. Besides, Esdese isn't that old. I'd put her at 26 max, and I'm pretty sure that Esdese is a lot of things, but I just don't see her as a pedo, so she'd wait a few years to make her physical advances any more than kissing and hugging.

But for now~ Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I shall see you all later for the next one~ (And feel free to check out other stories, specifically some of the one shots cause I really would love some more feedback on those.) Regardless! Have fun and hopefully see you later~ :)


	3. Thrash It

"You know, yesterday it was admirable." Wave said with a small smile as he watched Zabuza and Esdese's spar in the courtyard. They'd been going for a few hours and the young boy was already covered in a mix of bruises and sweat from getting tossed around like a chew toy.

"In fact I was even a bit jealous." The former sailor continued as he watched Zabuza charge with a quiet snarl at the playful grin dancing across beautiful general's face.

"To be trained by the Empire's strongest herself." Zabuza disappeared in burst of speed, Wave had to admire the kid's ability to hide in plain sight. Misdirection and his free form style would make him a formidable foe when he was older.

"It's a rare opportunity indeed." Bols nodded from his place beside his fellow Jaeger as Zabuza reappeared to Esdese's left, with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Zabuza's left fist shot towards Esdese's midsection only to be caught at the last second.

"Then I realized..." Wave trailed off as Zabuza jumped off the ground, using his own caught fist as a pivot point to twist his body up to plant a foot in Esdese's smug face.

"Esdese is brutal." Zabuza's grin was wiped off his face as he realized the sound he was hearing was the dull thud or crack of an injured nose, but Esdese's now familiar giggles at his varies attempts to injure her. His foot was caught by his opponent's other hand a good two inches from her face. The bandaged boy barely bit out a swear before he was tossed full force into a nearby pillar.

Wave and Bols both winced, not sure if the sound that came from Zabuza's direction was the boy's spine or the pillar snapping. They waited with baited breath for a few moments, knowing from experience that their commander would punish them for helping their newest comrade, or the boy himself would snap at them. Wave nearly lost a finger the first time.

"Ugh.." Zabuza struggled to his feet, eyes never leaving Esdese's inviting smile. "Getting soft there women.. I think you only cracked one rib." He said with a sarcastic deadpan.

Esdese's smile grew even larger as she slowly stepped forward. "Oh don't worry Zabuza, the days not over yet." He wasn't sure if the women honestly didn't notice his tone, or choose to ignore it.

Zabuza straighten himself out, cracking his back before pulling a knife out of his new grey pinstripe pants. He'd been provided a new set of clothes, much to his own annoyance. He knew his old shirt and pants were rags, but they were his rags. The fact they didn't even bother to ask his opinion on what to do with them did little to improve his sour temper.

In an act of defiance, he'd threatened to strangle the healer with his bed sheets if the quack thought he was going to force him into a shirt. Though his satisfaction at beating the system took a nose dive once Esdese showed up. The approval of his attire was almost enough to get him to change. But that would be admitting defeat to the quack, so he'd spend the couple day since his release from the infirmary bare-chested.

"Days not over she says... sadist." Zabuza grumbled as Esdese stopped a few feet away from him. His back was to a pillar, his injuries were starting to catch up with him, and worst of all, he hadn't managed to get a scratch on the bitch after an entire afternoon. Next time, spend more than one day to heal before getting back into these damn death matches with a maniac, he thought with grim acceptance.

"Oh don't be like that. This is for your own good. You are getting better Zabuza." Esdese reassured the boy as she settled back into a loose stance, letting Zabuza make the first move.

Zabuza took a deep breath, as Esdeath and the audience of two watched something in the boy shift. "I'm not a child to be given a damn gold star for effort." The combatants stared each other down, waiting for some unseen signal as Zabuza absentmindedly twirled the knife in his right hand.

With flick of wrist, the duel was back on. The knife sailing through the air intent on planting itself in one of Esdese's bright blue eyes as Zabuza did his traditional charge forward. For half a second, Zabuza disappeared from Esdese's view as she tilted her neck to avoid the blade. In that half a second, she heard a voice behind her, Zabuza's voice.

"_Esdese."_ It was warm, caring and unlike anything she'd heard from him in the past three days since they'd first met. It was one word that sent shivers through her body and in a momentary lack of judgement, driven by curiosity and the beating in her chest, she turned her head to the left in a hopes to see a smiling Zabuza. Her brain not yet catching up with the fact that Zabuza wasn't fast enough to get behind her in the short amount of time she lost sight of him.

It was only when she felt Zabuza's elbow impact her stomach that she remembered exactly what was going on in time to jump back, saving herself from most of the damage.

"That was a dirty trick." She glared at the boy, who even under the bandages could be seen wearing a smug smile. Normally she'd be impressed, he'd managed to land a hit, got her to drop her guard. It was the fact he'd played with her feelings that sent her temper flaring.

Zabuza just shrugged, eyes dead as he stared up at his opponent. "I'm an assassin. You want honorable, go kill a knight." He dropped his shoulders, searching Esdese's eyes. He could tell the spare was over just from the thin line in her face.

Shit, he thought. I've actually managed to piss her off. Zabuza's mind raced before he sighed. "To be honest, didn't expect it to work. I apologize."

He was lying through his teeth, but when Esdese's smile came back his fear for his life disappeared. For about two seconds, before the general nearly tackled him, burying his head in her ample chest.

"Apology accept!" Esdese pressed against him harder as Zabuza struggled for air.

* * *

><p>"You know, I'm starting to wonder if this isn't just some elaborate and drawn out execution for the kid." Wave chuckled as he watched Zabuza flail about in Esdese's grasp. Once free, the boy started to curse<p>

"Ah.. to be young and in love." Bols sighed before joining Wave with a few muffled laughs.

* * *

><p>"Never.. do that.. again." Zabuza said between gasps for air, wishing that Esdese wasn't looking so damn pleased with herself. The contemplative blush on her face didn't bode well for him either.<p>

"I make no promises. You are mine after all, I can play with you as much as I like, how I like."

Zabuza snorted before he felt a hand at the back of his neck. "Now come along. We need to get you dressed to find you a Tengu."

Knowing it was useless to struggle out of Esdese's grasp, he still didn't feel like making things easy as he dug his heels into the floor.

Eventually, they came to Esdese's room. He refused to think of it as 'their room' as she so often referred to it.

With more force than was necessary in Zabuza's mind, he was thrown onto the bed with a groan that only seemed to reinforce Esdese's smile. He'd known the women the women for barely four days but she lived up to her reputation as a sadist. What little time wasn't spent 'training' him was spent interrogating prisoners for information on the various rebel factions or Night raid.

Training... Zabuza could have laughed at the word. It was a fancy way of saying she kicked his ass for hours on end. Still, he couldn't argue that constantly hovering between life and death wasn't giving him an edge. One slip up and the blue-haired woman's deceptively strong fists would break every bone in his body without hesitation.

"Turn around, I need to see your back." Esdese commanded, holding a familiar palm-sized container in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other. A general heal-all salve that the healers gave to her. A new one each morning since they went through it like water.

"Not a chance in hell women. I can dress my own wounds."

"Even the ones you can't reach?"

Zabuza growled as he was manhandled, this time fighting against his 'lover's' grip. He was not some baby to be fussed over at every opportunity, and he said as much between his low threats of murdering Esdese in her sleep and various other protests. But like a lot of matters concerning the blue-haired beauty in the past few days, he lost due to the sheer strength of his opponent.

Eventually, he was forced onto his stomach, face buried in the silk sheets. Another thing that was hard to get used to. A life time of sleeping in the elements or cheap taverns, if he had some spare coins, made the softness of a good pillow, and sheets that didn't scratch at his skin felt weird. Never mind the fact Esdese enjoyed cuddling him in his sleep. It all added up to a matching pair of dark circles under his eyes from a lack of sleep. Zabuza only hoped this stupid adventure into the capital would get better eventually.

"Good boy." Esdese said as she straddled his lower back, voice as sweet as sugar as she popped the lid off the tiny box. She had to stifle a laugh at the size difference, knowing that one day the rolls might be reversed and she'd have to look up at him.

He didn't what pissed him off more. Having to submit to Esdese, or the fact her concern was always so genuine for him. As if she wasn't the reason he looked like an abstract artist's rendition of a starry capital night, the various black and purple welts dotted across his torso.

"You really should wear a shirt. You'll catch a cold." Esdese scooped up a generous portion of the green goop, rubbing it between her hands to warm it up before pressing them against Zabuza's cold skin. "Not that I really mind, you look rather dashing without one, but I don't want something as pathetically mundane as a cold to make you too weak to spare."

When Esdese's hand's touched his back, Zabuza stiffened in a mixture of pain and relief as the medicine worked it's magic on his aching body. He could ignore the pain well enough, a standard trick from his tribe but that didn't mean it was gone entirely. Instead he'd just let Esdese talk, and respond if he felt like it.

"For someone living on the streets, you have a surprisingly short number of scars." Esdese's hands were gentle but firm as they worked in small circles, stopping every so often to get more of the salve before she went back to work. This was the first time she'd ever gotten a good look at him. During the spares she was busy contemplating his next move, or watching him as a whole, and during the day, she was usually forced away from him to attend other business.

I'll need to rework my schedule, she thought as Zabuza squirmed under her, I need to spend more time with him. Lovers spend time together. Esdese nodded to herself.

"Until you came along, most of my fights were over before they began. A fight I can lose is a battle I have no intention of fighting."

"So you thought I was easy prey?" Esdese smirked in a predatory manner as she leaned forward, enjoying the slight groans of pain that came out of Zabuza as she whispered in his ear.

"That's one way to say it."

"And the other way?" She joked, curious to hear what Zabuza's first impressions of her were.

"I thought you were a whore." Zabuza paused as he felt Esdese's nails dig into his flesh, he choose his next few words carefully. "A lot of beautiful women work their way up the ranks by sleeping with a superior officer. To most it seems like a good deal. Lie back and think of the Emperor for a few nights, then you are sitting pretty with a desk job and a captain's badge to do with as you wish... You wouldn't be the first the first man or women in an Imperial Guard officer uniform that didn't know the business end of a knife." Zabuza raised his neck, to stare at the wall instead of the white sheets as he mumbled the next part. "Boy was I wrong..."

"Really now?" This was news to her. It certainly didn't sound like something Budo would approve off. If standards had slipped that much, it was no wonder they had spies in their ranks. "And how do you know which ones are actual soldiers?"

"The way they walk." Zabuza bit back a whimper as Esdese adjusted her position, rolling off his back to lay by his side to stare at him with a familiar look in her eyes. Curiosity mixed with glee. Apparently any hopes of getting a Tengu were out the window for the night. He knew talking was a bad idea, or struggling. The more he struggled, the more she tried to subdue him, but like hell he was going to just lay down and accept half the things she was going to do to him.

"Hands are also a good indicator, but it's mostly the way they walk. Soldiers will walk with purpose. If they are going anywhere, it's to get from point A to B, with long measured strides. Like marching. The other women saunter, they are rarely in a rush and since their jobs is to seduce instead of fight, it becomes a habit. It's little things like that. The makeup is the big one though. A regular soldier won't care enough to put on cover up, much less lipstick since they expect to get dirty."

Esdese nodded slightly, making notes in her head to do a review of the Imperial Guard at her earliest convenience before something in her head clicked. "Oh! I almost forgot." She jumped off the bed, running to grab something from her dresser before taking her place by Zabuza's side again. "I got you a present."

Zabuza only responded with a huff, too comfortable to care, even if the look of excitement and anticipation brought a small smirk to his face. The crazy woman seemed to have two settings, frigid murderer or excited school girl.

"Sit up." She commanded, and when Zabuza failed to move she pulled him up to face away from her. His curiosity was peaked when she began to fiddle with the knot that held his mask of bandages in place.

"What are you doing?" He asked, tensing up as Esdese continued to try and work with the cloth, not wanting to rip it. She'd learned in their short time together that Zabuza was not willing to show his face unless pressed, but she wanted to see his smile when he received his gift. Eventually though she gave up and flipped him around to face her.

"Here. This is for you." Esdese held out her hands, a black leather collar with a sterling silver cross in the middle in the middle.

It didn't take an idiot to know the symbolism behind a collar, and it took every bit of effort for Zabuza not to attack the women then and there. Instead he picked it up, and held it up to the light, as if he was admiring the craftsmanship.

"It's beautiful." Zabuza said with a small smirk before he pounced, knocking them both down to the floor before he managed to struggle his way on top of Esdese. His hands were a blur as he took off the small blue scarf she always wore, and replaced it with the collar, his smirk growing as he heard the clink of the clasp closing around her slim neck. "Too bad, I am not a pet to be leashed. It looks far better on you though."

Esdese's face couldn't seem to decided if it wanted to settle on anger or amusement before she reversed the positions. Apparently anger had won, though Zabuza could still see the traces of a smirk as she glared down at him. "You're right. You aren't my pet. But you are _my _lover. So until you beat me. I make the decisions. You are cute, and you have potential, Za-bu-za. But your life is in my hand. Don't forget that. You belong to _me. _Not the other way round."

Zabuza snorted as Esdese continued. "Now, it's late. So I'm going to get changed, and when I come back. I want an apology, and if I'm satisfied, I might not flog you. Then we will go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing how the new recruit stacks up against you."

Esdese leaned down and gave Zabuza a rather chaste kiss on the lips before standing up. He knew she was taking her time, having herself a little victory march as she walked into the bathroom to change while Zabuza glared at her back.

Fine, he thought as he stood up himself, stripping down to his boxers. If that's how you want to play it. One cut. I'll get strong enough to kill you in one cut.


End file.
